When The Stars Go Blue
by Secret Lily
Summary: James is captivated by Lily from day one. He learns that as the two of them form a relationship, it's hard to imagine life without the other. Oneshot.


**A/N: For the heck of it, I decided to try my hand at another one-shot. It's been thrashing around in my fragile little mind and it needs to get out. Tell me how you like it. I hope it doesn't turn out cliché, because that always sucks. So, please review.**

When The Stars Go Blue

The large oak doors were thrown open and the magnificently decorated Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was revealed. The ceiling overhead portrayed the night sky, which was clear and dark. Tiny bright stars shimmered, making the atmosphere calm and serene.

The first year students marching in were anything but calm. Anxiety and excitement pummeled through their veins. Thoughts circulated around in their minds, curiosity getting the better of them.

Professor Minerva McGonagall stood at the front of the Great Hall, a four-legged stool by her side. She placed a dark, tattered hat on the stool, took out a large scroll of parchment, and waited until silence lingered.

The names read were done in alphabetical order. James Potter recognized some, having been raised around other purebloods in his community. When McGonagall got to the 'E's', James watched tiny Lily Evans make her way up to the stool. He had met her on the train, having been reprimanded by her for hanging Peter Pettigrew out the window, alongside Sirius Black. She hadn't known it had all been a joke. Peter was actually laughing as his face touched the wind outside the compartment. Yet, when Lily Evans had passed by, she had seen what was going on and immediately put a stop to it before anything harmful could come to poor Pettigrew.

His hazel eyes watched as her red hair bounced behind her with each step she took. He lifted a finger to nudge his glasses up a bit more on his thin nose. Her emerald green eyes seemed to scream out her fear, yet she kept a shy smile upon her face as McGonagall set the hat down on her head.

James knew that Lily Evans would be a girl to keep an eye on.

.X.

At the age of sixteen years old, James Potter was a teenage boy whose hormones were ripe. The opposite sex intrigued him.

It was a Tuesday afternoon and he was supposed to be in Astronomy. Instead, he had brought Fiona Clause with him behind the third greenhouse. It was an idea spot for exactly what he intended to do; snogging.

After about two years of rejection, James knew that no matter how many girls he dated, Lily Evans would not be impressed. Yet, she didn't seem to know exactly why he breezed through girls so quickly. She hadn't so much as inferred or pondered as to why James never kept a girlfriend for very long. He wondered if the thought even crossed her mind.

He knew that what Sirius referred to as 'speed dating' would get him nowhere with Evans. Yet, she didn't know hardly anything behind the psychology of it all. She didn't know a thing. For that, he was disappointed. He would love the opportunity to explain himself before Lily Evans. He knew that chance would never come.

Fiona giggled as James took her hand and leaned her against the glass of the greenhouse. The sun was shining down upon them and James ruffled the back of his hair quickly.

He leaned in and kissed Fiona on the lips, yet, in the back of his mind, he wasn't kissing Fiona. He was kissing Lily. Fiona's mousy brown hair seemed to transform into Lily's thick auburn curls. Her dull emotionless eyes blended into a magnetic green, full of power and strength. Fiona's pretty, but not quite gorgeous face morphed into Lily's porcelain white skin and amazing smile. Lily Evans was standing in front of him.

Each time he kissed a girl, this transformation took place. He knew that no matter how many different girls he dated, Lily Evans would always be in the back of his mind. Only when the realization that he was not actually with Lily occurred, did James move onto another. Fiona had been the lucky girl that day.

He hardly seemed to notice the good in girls anymore, as he constantly compared them to the girl who had stolen his heart at age eleven. Sometimes, he wished he could hide her away in his mind and be able to move on. The rejection each time stung it's way into his heart and the longing for her grew even stronger. He knew that each time he approached Lily he had failed.

He ran his hands through Fiona's hair, imagining them to be the soft delicate curls Lily had acquired. Only when he saw a shadow behind him did he stop. He turned slowly, adjusting his glasses, and automatically his hand crept to his hair.

The actual Lily Evans was standing there, books in hand, and her eyes wide in embarrassment.

"Sorry," Lily mumbled. "Professor Sinistra was wondering where you were, Potter. He sent me to get you and Black told me you'd be here. I didn't realize you weren't alone."

Her cheeks turned red and she turned on her heel and walked off quickly. For some reason, she seemed to think what James had been doing was offensive.

"Evans," James called, leaving Fiona and running to catch up with her. "Evans, wait!"

She turned abruptly, surprising him. "For what, Potter? Want to snog some more in front of me?"

"It's not like I knew you were coming," James told her quietly. "I didn't plan it."

"As a Prefect, I should take points away," Lily informed him. "Seeing as the embarrassment we've both had to go through, I feel that's punishment enough."

Something about her tone caught James oddly. She seemed a bit—_jealous_.

"Evans," James addressed, his face barely inches from hers. He tilted her chin up with his hand so she could look him in the eye. "Are you jealous?"

"Of Fiona?" Lily inquired, appalled at the thought. James wasn't quite sure if she was appalled at Fiona or at the way she, herself, was feeling. "Potter, need I remind you, I have never been remotely interested in you in that particular way, nor any other way. This is no exception."

"Oh really?" James asked, cocking an eyebrow. "You seem a bit too flushed, Lily."

"Don't call me that," Lily protested. "It's always Evans to you. It always has been, it always will be. Don't go mixing things up on me right now, Potter."

He found the slightest bit of amusement in her nervous, rushed sentences. She was denying the sparks flying between the two of them. The warm vibe James was feeling.

"Fiona means nothing to me," James insisted. "Less than nothing. She knew that before we even went behind the greenhouse."

"Then why did she agree?" Lily asked. James smiled, as he seemed to have caught her attention.

"She, as well as the rest of the school, realizes how lonely I am," he told her. "All the girls know they don't stand a chance with you around. They know that I've only ever been truly smitten with you."

Her eyes glanced to the ground, focusing on her feet, as she seemed far too embarrassed to speak.

"Lily, I'm a jerk. I've been a bit of a prat the entire time I've gone to Hogwarts. You must know, that's not who I really am. I'm actually a very shy, reserved person, but popularity brings out the worst in me. You're lucky. You can be the genuinely nice person you are whilst still remaining well liked throughout the school. I'm not as strong as you, Lily," he confessed to her. She hadn't even noticed he had taken his hand out of his already messy hair until he gently grabbed one of her hands. "I've never gone out with girls to make you jealous nor have I ever tried to win you over. The reason I'm with those girls is because my heart agonizes the fact that you're not with me. I get lonely.

"I've always been so upfront about how I feel about you and somehow, I think that scares you. I think you're afraid of how you feel. I think you're afraid of letting someone in. No matter how strong someone is, Lily, fear is always lingering. I want you to know that I don't think you should have to feel afraid anymore. Don't be afraid; just give into it."

Although she didn't leap up and immediately kiss him as expected, James knew he had made an impact as she looked up at him and smiled.

.X.

The church was decorated simply with garlands of fresh white lilies adorning the end of each pew. Only a few guests had been invited and the ceremony was a quiet, private wedding.

Lily Evans stood in a long, white gown, her hands trembling as James Potter slid a diamond ring on her finger. She felt soft tears stream down her face as she placed a gold wedding band on his.

After all the years they had known one another, neither one of them could have predicted they would be marrying one another. Sirius Black stood beside James, a grin creeping up on his devious face.

"You may now kiss the bride."

James winked at her and leaned in and kissed her. She knew that she had never had a more sacred moment. It was hers to keep and remember as long as she lived. Her wedding. Every girl dreamed of a wedding with the entire town congregated in a large church, watching as she streamed down the aisle with her countless bridesmaids. Yet, she knew that at times as dangerous as these, there were untrustworthy people. Lily knew she preferred a small, quiet ceremony with people she loved and trusted opposed to the fantasy wedding.

She broke away from James and slipped her hand in his. She walked down the aisle as he scooped her up and walked out into the sunny atmosphere where they would begin their lives together.

.X.

Lily Potter, a young pregnant woman, sat in a wooden rocking chair. She hummed a melody she had heard when she was a child. Her hand grazed along the bump protruding from her stomach.

She loved the way it felt to have another human being growing inside of her. She knew she was giving life to her child. She knew she was doing something good. The day she and James had found out was breathtaking. She knew at once it was her destiny. She was meant to be a mother. She was meant to start a family with her husband.

The door creaked open and someone entered. Lily's head turned to the doorframe where James stood, his lip cut and his robes torn. He limped inside the room and bent down to kiss her and rub his hand across her stomach.

"What happened to you?" she asked, standing up slowly and touching a bruise that had formed on his forehead.

"An attack at the Ministry," James informed her. "We managed to catch two Death Eaters, but the rest got away."

"How many were killed in the process?" Lily inquired sadly.

"Four," James whispered. "Four workers were killed."

Lily nodded and suddenly threw her arms around her husband. He hugged her, embracing the fact that he was safe and had lived to see his wife again. Lily was what had kept him going.

"You could have been killed," Lily sobbed into his shoulder. "What would I have done? I could never go on without you."

"Lily," he told her softly, taking her chin in his hand as he had done way back in their sixth year at Hogwarts. Her emerald eyes were blurry with tears. "I will never leave you. Never."

"What if you had been killed?" she asked. "What if? It could happen. It's entirely possible."

Her voice quivered as the words poured out, each sounding lifeless upon her lips.

"If I ever die," James told her. "You sit in your rocking chair with our baby and look up at that sky. You'll know I'm there with you and that I've never left you."

"How?" Lily asked him.

"The day I leave you is the day the stars will go blue," he told her. "The stars will go blue."

**A/N: Definitely not my best, but it was sitting around in my brain. Be gentle with it. I know it's not up to part. Please review.**


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